Weekly Psychedelic Links - June 2022

6.3.22

Cannabis

• Virginia: Approved Budget Recriminalizes Public Marijuana Possession Over Four Ounces of Marijuana (NORML)

• Connecticut Gov. signs bill to crack down on weed gifting (Leafly)

• North Carolina Senate Approves Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• Study Finds THC Detected in Blood or Breath Does Not Indicate Impairment (High Times)

• Medicinal cannabis reduces pain and the need for opiate painkillers among cancer patients (PsyPost)

• North Carolina Lawmakers Advance Bill To Make Hemp Permanently Legal (High Times)

• With veto, path to marijuana legalization in Delaware still open but fraught with unpredictability (WHYY)

• FBI Marijuana Arrest Data May Be Critically Flawed, And DOJ Is Being Asked To Investigate (Marijuana Moment)

• Louisiana Senate Approves Bill Allowing Public Employees to Use Medical Pot (High Times)

• New York Senate Passes Gray Market Cannabis Bill (High Times)

• Legal Cannabis Use Could Disqualify White House Intern Applicants (Forbes)

• Texas Activists Say They Collected Enough Signatures To Put Marijuana Decriminalization On Another City Ballot (Marijuana Moment)

• Gen Z Prefers Weed Over Booze (High Times)

• Marijuana Research Has Exploded In Recent Years Despite Barriers Caused By Prohibition, New Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Peru Issues Draft Law to Allow and Regulate Patient-Grown Medical Cannabis (High Times)

• New York Senate Approves Bill To Mandate Medical Marijuana Health Insurance Coverage (Marijuana Moment)

• Austria Imports Record Amount of Medical Weed While Constitutional Challenges Loom (High Times)

• Weed Joke on Jeopardy! Triggers Viewers (High Times)

LSD

• Neuroscientists gain a deeper understanding of how LSD affects molecular brain activity (PsyPost)

• Ceruvia Lifesciences to Supply LSD to Qualified Researchers at No Cost (PR Newswire)

Magic Mushrooms

• Oregon Officials’ Rejection Of Rules For Spiritual And Religious Psilocybin Use Called Into Question (Marijuana Moment)

• In Algeria, Ancient Cave Art May Show Psychedelic Mushroom Use (Atlas Obscura)

• New studies shed light on the mysterious process by which psilocybin can rapidly improve depression symptoms (PsyPost)

• B.C. company opens Canada's largest licensed psychedelic mushroom growing facility (CBC)

• Policy and Legal Considerations for Religious and Community Use of Psilocybin Mushrooms under Oregon Measure 109 (Chacruna)

MDMA

• A Balm for Psyches Scarred by War (The New York Times)

• 'Highly unusual': Methamphetamine found in MDMA tablets for the first time in New Zealand (Stuff.co.nz)

Peyote

• The Navajo Nation to Protect the Sanctity of Azeé – Peyote Medicine from Legalization and Commercial Use (Chacruna)

Nitrous Oxide

• Warning over climate threat from laughing gas used during childbirth (Sydney Morning Herald)

• Linking nitrous oxide to climate risk is yet another example of the disdain shown to women’s pain (The Guardian)

Ketamine

• Ketamine can treat depression — but teletherapy could make it accessible (Inverse)

Miscellaneous

• Canada to decriminalize some drugs in British Columbia for three years (The Guardian)

• Maryland Bill To Fund Psychedelics Research And Access For Veterans Takes Effect Without Governor’s Signature (Marijuana Moment)

• DARE 2.0 is "Keepin' it Real" in US schools (Substance)

• Indigenous and drug policy groups seek to preserve traditional approaches as psychedelic markets open in Oregon (OPB)

• Michigan Activists Give Up 2022 Push For Psychedelics Legalization Ballot Initiative, Shifting Focus To 2024 (Marijuana Moment)

• The Intertwined Prohibitionist Histories of Psychedelics and Kratom (Psychedelics Today)

• Why this startup is encouraging employees to microdose psychedelics at work (Fast Company)

• From Psychedelic Pharma To Crop Gene Editing - The UK’s Big Opportunity (Forbes)

• Don’t Count on RFRA to Protect Psychedelic Churches (Lucid News)

• Tripping over the potential of psychedelics for autism (Spectrum)

• Understanding the Current Legal Status of Psychedelics in the United States (JD Supra)

• Can you take the trip out of psychedelics and still treat depression? (New Scientist)

6.10.22

Cannabis

• Thailand legalises cannabis trade but still bans recreational use (BBC)

• Prescription cannabis products with more THC may ease chronic pain, at least a little, study finds (CNN)

• North Carolina Senate Passes Medical Marijuana Bill To House, But Questions Loom About Further Action This Year (Marijuana Moment)

• Delaware: Lawmakers Decline to Overturn Cannabis Legalization Veto (NORML)

• Voters In Five Texas Cities Will Decide On Marijuana Decriminalization In November, Activists Say (Marijuana Moment)

• Louisiana Legislature Passes Bill to Protect State Workers from Termination for Medical Cannabis (Ganjapreneur)

• Portugal Group Demands Freedom to Vote for Personal Use of Cannabis (High Times)

• The Rapidly Expanding Cannabis Industry Needs To Get Its Marketing Act Together, A New Report Finds (Forbes)

• If you’re high your love life might not be as great as you think (New York Post)

• Ukraine to Legalize Medical Cannabis, Health Minister Says (High Times)

• Illinois Governor Signs Bill To Close Marijuana Expungement ‘Loophole’ (Marijuana Moment)

• Inflation’s so insane Snoop Dogg gave his blunt roller a raise (Leafly)

• Legal Cannabis Use Could Disqualify White House Intern Applicants (Forbes)

• West Virginia Activists Are Collecting Signatures To Put Marijuana Decriminalization Measures On Local Ballots (Marijuana Moment)

• Medical Cannabis & Sleep Disorders: What Do We Really Know? (The Fresh Toast)

• Is the word ‘marijuana’ racist? (Leafly)

• Opening the Curtain on Cannabis in the Opera (High Times)

LSD

• LSD microdosing does not appear to improve mood or cognitive ability, according to new placebo-controlled study (PsyPost)

Magic Mushrooms

• Clinical Trial in South Africa to Study Efficacy of Psilocybin on Women with HIV and Depression (High Times)

MDMA

• Colorado Governor Signs Bill To Legalize MDMA Prescriptions Pending Federal Approval (Marijuana Moment)

• Brexit helping cause harmful increase in fake ecstasy, study warns (The Guardian)

Ayahuasca

• I Tried Everything. Then I Tried Ayahuasca. (Esquire)

Miscellaneous

• Psychedelic Pharma’s Big Spin (Lucid News)

• The Nationwide Reach of Harmful Drug “Paraphernalia” Laws (Filter)

• Tracing The History of Hallucinogens in China (TalkingDrugs)

• How psychedelic drugs might treat depression (BBC)

• Bosses want to feed psychedelics to their staff (The Economist)

• The Great Cannabis Microdosing PR Conspiracy (High Times)

6.17.22

Cannabis

• Germany set to legalise sale of cannabis in licensed shops (Metro)

• Study Finds Weekly Cannabis Use Has Minimal Impairment on Physical Health (High Times)

• How cannabis-fed chickens may help cut Thai farmers’ antibiotic use (The Guardian)

• Analysis: Cannabis Retailers Drive Economic Growth, Are Not Magnets for Crime (NORML)

• Maine’s Legal Marijuana Stores Are Effectively Displacing Illicit Market, State Report Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• New Zealand Leaders Demand Cops Stop Spraying Chemicals on Cannabis (High Times)

• Study: Regular Cannabis Consumers Perform Better Than Occasional Users on Distracted Driving Tasks (NORML)

• Kentucky Governor Issues Medical Marijuana Executive Order Creating Advisory Committee To Study Patient Access Options (Marijuana Moment)

• Study Shows Medical Cannabis Enrollment Has Quadrupled (High Times)

• EPA Warns Workers They’re Banned From Using Marijuana Or Investing In The Industry In New Memo (Marijuana Moment)

• DEA Reports Significant Uptick in Marijuana-Related Seizures, Arrests (NORML)

• Athens, Georgia on Cusp of Major Decriminalization Ordinance (High Times)

• Teen Marijuana Use Dropped Dramatically In Colorado In 2021, State Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• New Mexico Lawsuit Seeks Insurance Coverage for Medical Cannabis (High Times)

• GOP Senate Candidate Pushes ‘Pot For Potholes’ Marijuana-Funded Infrastructure Plan In Hilarious Campaign Ad (Marijuana Moment)

• Superior Court in Brazil Affirms Right to Cannabis Home Grow (High Times)

• Federal Court Sides With Nebraska Medical Marijuana Activists In Lawsuit Over Ballot Requirements (Marijuana Moment)

• West Virginia Advocates Collecting Signatures for Decriminalization Ballot Measures (High Times)

LSD

• The Elephant in the Room is LSD (Lucid News)

Magic Mushrooms

• Psilocybin-induced mystical experiences linked to lasting positive psychological effects (PsyPost)

• Anticipating Legalization: Making Psilocybin Accessible (Cannabis Science and Technology)

• Could magic mushrooms in care homes help curb fear of death? Psychedelic drugs could 'revolutionise' end-of-life treatment, expert says (Daily Mail)

MDMA

• Paraguay May Be Shifting from Producing LSD and MDMA to Consuming Them (InSight Crime)

5-MeO-DMT

• What’s the Best Way To Take 5-MeO-DMT in a Clinical Trial? (Technology Networks)

Iboga

• Ibogaine Isn’t a “Cure” for Addiction—But It Can Be a Useful Detox Tool (Filter)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

• Oregon ban on synthetic cannabis products will be nation’s first (Oregon Live)

Ketamine

• Exploring Ketamine’s Antimicrobial Effects & Fungal Sources: Part 1 (Psychedelic Science Review)

• The 'normalised' drug that the UK takes more of than any other country (Liverpool Echo)

Miscellaneous

• Mind-Altering Drug Docuseries Lined Up At Netflix From Alex Gibney & Michael Pollan (Deadline)

• Malaysia Ends Mandatory Death Penalty for Nonviolent Drug Crimes (High Times)

• Is drug testing going to become a regular part of UK festivals? (iTV)

• Missoula City Council measure would decriminalize hallucinogenic plants (Missoula Current)

• Local Psychedelics Decriminalization Measure Stalls In Amherst, Massachusetts (Marijuana Moment)

• The abuse of power in psychedelic retreats (leafie)

• Psychedelics Can Help Boost Scientific Creativity, Review Finds (Analytical Cannabis)

• NFTs Are Getting Psychedelic. Is It Worth the Trip? (Lucid News)

• Michigan moves to outlaw fake urine as marijuana popularity soars (MLive)

6.24.22

Cannabis

• Psychosis, Addiction, Chronic Vomiting: As Weed Becomes More Potent, Teens Are Getting Sick (The New York Times)

• California may require labels on cannabis products to warn of mental health risks (OPB)

• Vets And Medical Cannabis: It’s The Least We Can Do (Forbes)

• Louisiana: Multiple Marijuana Reform Bills Signed Into Law; Measures Take Effect August 1 (NORML)

• Spain Approves Medical Cannabis Reform: Pharmacy Dispensation Planned for End of 2022 (High Times)

• Medical Marijuana Legalization Linked To Reduced Drunk Driving And Safer Roads, Study On Auto Insurance Data Suggests (Marijuana Moment)

• Switzerland to Lift Ban on Medical Cannabis (High Times)

• DEA Marijuana Busts Increased In 2021, Seizing Over 5.5 Million Plants (Marijuana Moment)

• U.S. English Teacher Sentenced to 14 Years in Russia for Pot ‘Smuggling’ (High Times)

• North Carolina House Republicans Block Senate-Passed Medical Marijuana Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• Cannabis ‘Very Promising’ as Opioid Replacement, Early Study Results Show (High Times)

• U.S. Supreme Court Denies Medical Marijuana Workers’ Compensation Cases (Marijuana Moment)

• Study Shows Cannabis Use Could Lead to Increased Kindness and Empathy (High Times)

• Senate Committee Votes To Let People Who’ve Used Marijuana Work For CIA, NSA And Other Intelligence Agencies (Marijuana Moment)

• Analyses: Drug Interdiction Efforts at US Borders Typically Yield Only Small Quantities of Marijuana (NORML)

• MLB Teams Can Now Be Sponsored By CBD Companies, Baseball League Official Says (Marijuana Moment)

• Mississippi Supreme Court Upholds Life Sentence for Weed Possession (High Times)

• Scientists find little evidence to show cannabis oils help end pain, according to major study (Daily Mail)

• District of Columbia: Council Advances Legislation Prohibiting Most Employers from Discriminating Against Cannabis Consumers (NORML)

• New Gene Technology Allows Growers To Boost THC Levels In Cannabis (Forbes)

LSD

• ‘I’m happier now and nowhere near as intense’: GoDaddy.com’s founder pivots to LSD (The Daily Dot)

Magic Mushrooms

• Judges Deny Challenge to Psilocybin Patent (VICE)

• COMPASS Pathways presents largest ever study of psilocybin therapy, at American Psychiatric Association annual meeting (Psychedelic Alpha)

• Pa. bill to study of psilocybin – the drug in magic mushrooms – as mental health treatment languishes in Harrisburg (PhillyVoice)

• Oregon County Considers Banning Legalized Psilocybin Therapy (Filter)

• How an NHL Enforcer Broke His Body — and Turned to Psychedelics to Heal His Brain (Rolling Stone)

MDMA

• MDMA trials under review in Canada over alleged abuse of study participants (The Guardian)

• Canadian Firm Seeks Approval to Manufacture MDMA and Other Psychedelics (High Times)

DMT

• DMT is Effective at Treating Depression, New Study Finds (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• What do we see when dying? How a psychedelic trip can trigger at life’s end, and why we need to be better prepared for it (South China Morning Post)

Ayahuasca

• An Ayahuasca Retreat Claims to Sell 'Miracles.' Former Workers and Guests Say It's Unsafe and Abusive. (VICE)

• Another Phoenix Church Sues DEA Over Religious Use of Ayahuasca (Phoenix New Times)

• The Ayahuasca King's Last Tour (The Texas Observer)

Ketamine

• Tripping Through Motherhood: How Some Women Are Using Ketamine to Treat Postpartum Depression (Glamour)

• Exploring Ketamine’s Antimicrobial Effects & Fungal Sources: Part 2 (Psychedelic Science Review)

Miscellaneous

• After Six-Decade Hiatus, Experimental Psychedelic Therapy Returns to the V.A. (The New York Times)

• Two psychedelic-related initiatives may be on the 2022 Colorado ballot (The Denver Channel)

• Alliance launches to advance psychedelic healthcare in Europe (Psychedelic Health)

• After Six-Decade Hiatus, Experimental Psychedelic Therapy Returns to the V.A. (The New York Times)

• States are embracing psychedelics, paving the way for FDA approval (DoubleBlind)

• Rabbi Ben Gorelick Plans to Use Religious Freedom Against an 8-Year Minimum Psychedelic Charge (High Times)

• Numinus Applies for International Patent Filing of Psychedelics Production Process (Psychedelic Alpha)

• The New Psychedelic Plot (The Wall Street Journal)

• Efforts to Decriminalize Psychedelics Can Extend to Rural Places, Too (The Daily Yonder)

• Recreational psychedelics remain far behind on legalization path (Pique Newsmagazine)

• Psychedelic Therapy Will Not Save Us (Mad in America)

• Mummies who mushroom: The mums using psychedelics to take the edge off modern parenthood (Harpers Bazaar)

• Extending the Reach of Psychedelic Therapy With Psychoplastogens (Technology Networks)

• The Great Microdosing Debate (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Celebrating the Psychedelic Dawn (Lucid News)

Think Wilder is reader-supported. If you enjoyed this month’s update, please consider helping out by becoming a patron, making a one-time donation, or sharing this post with a friend. Thank you for your support.

Disclaimer: "This Week in Psychedelics" does not censor or analyze the news links presented here. The purpose of this column is solely to catalog how psychedelics are presented by the mass media, which includes everything from the latest scientific research to misinformation.

This Month in Psychedelics - May 2021

May was yet another busy one for psychedelic news, with plenty of drug policy reform progress, industry developments, groundbreaking research, and a couple controversial events taking place. In this month’s update we’ll dive into these topics and much more.

Here is a slimmed-down video recap version that is available for those who prefer an easier-to-digest option:

There’s a lot to get through this month, so without further ado, let’s jump into the news:

Drug Policy

Wins

Two states made huge progress on cannabis reform. First, Montana’s governor signed a bill to implement the recreational marijuana program that voters approved last November. Retail sales for adults 21 and older will begin in January of next year. And continuing an emerging pattern of Southern states revamping cannabis laws, Alabama’s governor signed legislation to legalize medical marijuana in the state. The country is turning more and more green every month!

A few other bills made huge progress as well but have not crossed the finish line yet: an attempt to decriminalize psychedelics in California, legislation that would enable Texas to conduct psychedelic research, a cannabis legalization effort in Minnesota, and Switzerland is getting closer to legalizing marijuana as well.

Losses

Some bills hit a wall though. In Mexico lawmakers failed to legalize cannabis ahead of a Supreme Court deadline, Aspen’s city council chose not to decriminalize psychedelics, drug possession is now a misdemeanor in Washington State, Mississippi’s Supreme Court overturned a medical marijuana legalization ballot that voters approved last November, Colorado and New York banned delta-8 THC, China banned synthetic cannabinoids, and Amsterdam and a London borough banned nitrous oxide.

Future

Looking ahead, Republicans in the U.S. are pushing for the federal legalization of cannabis to ensure individual liberty, so legal weed in America is looking more and more like becoming a possibility sometime soon.

Industry

An NHL star’s brain trauma led him to found a psychedelic startup company, legal cannabis states have generated nearly $8 billion in tax revenue since recreational sales launched, Champignon Brands changed its name to Braxia Scientific, and MindMed announced Project Angie, the company’s attempt to treat pain with psychedelics.

Research

The results from MAPS’ Phase 3 trial of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD are in, and things are looking promising for this novel form of treatment. Out of 90 participants who enrolled in the study, the group which received MDMA during therapy experienced a more significant reduction in the severity of their PTSD symptoms compared to the placebo-controlled group. In fact, two months after treatment 67% of people in the MDMA group no longer qualified for a PTSD diagnosis whereas only 32% of the placebo group did. These results are promising and lend credence to the idea that MDMA will be legally available for medical use within the next couple years.

Other research studies found that psilocybin may be able to treat migraine headaches, how LSD opens the doors of perception, that frequent cannabis consumers are more physically active than non-users, and that actual drug education is far better than the government’s typical approach of “just say no.” In addition, the U.S. federal government announced a new standard THC dose to be used in cannabis research.

Miscellaneous

Causing a bit of a stir in the global psychedelic community, a publication known as Psychedelic Invest published a list of the 100 most influential people in psychedelics ranking candidates based on the following factors: social reach, scientific accomplishments, legislative initiatives, and value creation/contribution. The list was criticized for its lack of diversity, which prompted a public response acknowledging the fact the publication failed to prioritize the inclusion of a diverse group of people when creating it. In today’s political climate it’s no wonder that the publication of a list like this was heavily criticized, but the constructive reaction from Psychedelic Invest indicates that the publication is willing to learn from its mistake.

A new cannabis product generated an uproar on social media. Dubbed Canna Bumps, this unique cannabis concentrate looked kind of like cocaine and was intended to be snorted by consumers. Needless to say, it caught a lot of flack from industry insiders and judgmental marijuana smokers alike. Claiming that it would hurt the movement to legalize cannabis on a federal level, enough people complained that the product was quickly pulled from the market.

Now me personally, I can see how a product like this could be used by drug warriors to hurt the effort to reform drug laws, but I’m also in full support of people consuming their preferred drugs by whatever route of administration they see fit. Hopefully one of these days a snortable marijuana product will be available for consumers, but until then things are just going to keep moving a bit more slowly.

Wrapping up this month’s recap is an update on where Decriminalize Nature stands when it comes to peyote. You may recall that some Native American groups around the country have spoken out against the drug decriminalization movement including peyote in its recommendations for drugs to be decriminalized, and now Decrim Nature has officially announced a peyote conservation plan that is intended to work in tandem with the conservation strategy that is already underway.

Under this resolution, peyote found in its natural habit would be available only for indigenous communities and poaching would continue to be penalized, but the personal cultivation of peyote by non-indigenous people would be decriminalized, which would hopefully address the existing demand for the cacti and help assist with the ongoing conservation effort.

That’s all for this month’s update. Remember to always test and weigh your drugs and until next time—keep thinking wilder.

Think Wilder is reader-supported. If you enjoyed this month’s update, please consider helping out by becoming a patron, making a one-time donation, or sharing this post with a friend. Thank you for your support.

This Week in Psychedelics - 4.9.21

Cannabis

• Virginia Becomes First Southern State To Legalize Cannabis (HuffPost)

• How London Could Effectively Decriminalise Cannabis (VICE)

• Mexico Marijuana Legalization Bill Advances In Senate For Second Day In A Row (Marijuana Moment)

• Connecticut Lawmakers Approve Governor’s Marijuana Legalization Bill In Committee (Marijuana Moment)

• Delaware: Cannabis Activists Take on Corporate Marijuana, Patients Stage Boycott (NORML)

• Texas Lawmakers Tackle Marijuana Decriminalization, Medical Cannabis And Hemp In Committee Hearings (Marijuana Moment)

• Alabama House Committee Approves Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill Already Passed The Senate (Marijuana Moment)

• Montana Governor’s Marijuana Bill Revived After Initial Committee Defeat (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

• The History of LSD: From Hero to Villain & Back Again (The Third Wave)

• Legendary LSD Blotter Art: A Hidden Craftsmanship (Reality Sandwich)

Magic Mushrooms

• Denver dabbles with magic mushrooms, but using them to treat mental health disorders remains underground (Los Angeles Times)

• Oregon Health Authority advisory board discusses plan for legal psilocybin (Daily Emerald)

MDMA

• MindMed Announces the Publication of New Data on Personalized MDMA Dosing (Psilocybin Alpha)

5-MeO-DMT

• Hunter Biden says psychedelic toad venom kept him sober for a year (Washington Examiner)

Iboga

• Inside Ibogaine, One of the Most Promising and Perilous Psychedelics for Addiction (TIME)

Ketamine

• Ketamine normalizes hyperactivity in key brain region of depressed patients (PsyPost)

Miscellaneous

• Third Massachusetts City Approves Psychedelics Decriminalization Measure (Marijuana Moment)

• California Senators Approve Bill To Legalize Possession Of Psychedelics Like LSD, MDMA And Psilocybin (Marijuana Moment)

• Maine Unveils Legislation to Decriminalize Possession of All Drugs (Filter)

• Is it Possible to Create an Ethical Psychedelics Company? (VICE)

• Psychedelics As Therapeutic Treatments To Be Focus Of New UW-Madison Master's Program (WPR)

• Washington Lawmakers Hear Drug Decrim Bill After Supreme Court Strikes Down Prohibition (Marijuana Moment)

• Drugs Could Soon Be Decriminalised In The Australian Capital Territory. Here's Why That Would Be A Positive Step. (TalkingDrugs)

• Microdosing psychedelic drugs associated with increases in conscientiousness and reductions in neuroticism (PsyPost)

• Ancient cave painters may have been stoned, study says (Salon)

• The Third Wave’s Paul Austin Has Been Accused of Stealing Information For His Psychedelic Provider Directory (Psymposia)

• Can 12-Step Groups and Psychedelic Addiction Treatment Coexist? (VICE)

• Working with Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy and Psychedelics: Everything You Need to Know (Psychedelics Today)

• Music is a ‘Hidden Therapist’ in Psilocybin Therapy (Psychedelic Science Review)

• UNDP Brazil Condones Forced Abstinence and Religious Pathologisation of People Who Use Drugs (TalkingDrugs)

• More People Are Self-medicating with Psychedelics, Says New Study (Green Entrepreneur)

• How Do People Even Find Drug Dealers? (VICE)

• ICSS for Assessing the Abuse Potential of Psychedelics (Psychedelic Science Review)

Think Wilder is reader-supported. If you enjoyed this week’s update, please consider helping out by becoming a patron, making a one-time donation, or sharing this post with a friend. Thank you for your support.

Disclaimer: "This Week in Psychedelics" does not censor or analyze the news links presented here. The purpose of this column is solely to catalog how psychedelics are presented by the mass media, which includes everything from the latest scientific research to misinformation.

This Month in Psychedelics - September 2020

There’s no getting around it—this was yet another monumental month for psychedelic news. With progress in a variety of areas—including a few big drug policy reform wins and losses, updates on the psychedelic industry, innovative approaches in psychedelic research, and a newly-identified molecule in cannabis—there is a lot to cover. I’ve sifted through the onslaught of psychedelic news and picked out the juiciest stories for your reading pleasure. So grab a cup of your favorite beverage or pack a bowl of your favorite herb and sit down to take it all in.

Here is a slimmed-down video recap version that is available for those who prefer an easier-to-digest option:

Without further ado, let’s jump into the news:

Ann Arbor Decriminalizes Psychedelics

Following a growing trend of psychedelic reform victories sweeping across the country, this month Ann Arbor became the third city in the United States to decriminalize natural psychedelics, making them the lowest priority for local law enforcement.

While these plant medicines have not been made legal per se, people in the city of Ann Arbor are now at lower risk for cultivating, purchasing, and using plants and fungi like psilocybin mushrooms, mescaline-containing cacti, iboga, and the plants used to brew ayahuasca. However, the approach that local police will take toward sales and the commercial manufacture of natural psychedelics will remain unchanged, and state and federal law enforcement will not follow the city’s new guidelines.

House Postpones Vote on Federal Cannabis Legalization Bill Until Election

While the U.S. House of Representatives was originally slated to vote on a federal cannabis legalization bill this month, the vote was postponed at the last minute and won’t occur until at least after the upcoming election in November.

Although there was considerable support for the bill it seems that the moderate Democrats in the House were concerned that voting on a cannabis legalization bill while coronavirus relief legislation remains unresolved might have negatively impacted their chances of reelection. This is as good a time as any to remind you to verify that you are registered to vote and to get out and make your voice heard by voting in this year’s election.

Usona Institute Submits New Psilocybin Synthesis Method to Public Domain

Amidst a growing legion of for-profit psychedelic companies that operate with the goal of maximizing profits, the non-profit organization Usona Institute flipped the script when it put its new psilocybin synthesis method in the public domain, where it cannot be patented.

Usona’s new approach to manufacturing high-purity psilocybin is more efficient, less expensive, and will generate more consistent yields than previous synthesis methods were capable of producing. And rather than keep their innovation to themselves, now anyone who chooses to will be able to use this method to synthesize psilocybin. This is a win for open science and alternatives to cutthroat capitalism and Usona should be celebrated for its achievement and good-hearted contributions to the field.

COMPASS Pathways Becomes First Psychedelic Company to IPO on the Nasdaq

COMPASS Pathways made history by becoming the first psychedelic company to go public on the the U.S. stock market. While many psychedelic companies have joined the Canadian stock exchange, this is the first time that one has made its way to the NASDAQ.

And now that the floodgates are open, it won’t be long before other companies become tradeable in America too—in fact, MindMed has already applied to list on the NASDAQ so they might be next.

Nebraska’s Medical Marijuana Measure was Removed from November Ballot

This month yet another drug policy reform effort bit the dust as Nebraska’s medical marijuana measure was removed from the November ballot by the state’s supreme court.

Although activists turned in enough signatures back in July to qualify the measure, Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner filed a lawsuit to keep the proposal off the November ballot, arguing that it violated the state’s single-subject rule for ballot initiatives and would confuse voters.

While Nebraskans will no longer be looking forward to voting to legalize medical marijuana in the state later this year, they have already refocused their efforts on a 2022 ballot measure.

UC Berkeley Launches New Psychedelic Science and Education Center

UC Berkeley is not only opening a Center for the Science of Psychedelics that will conduct psychedelic research, but the center will also include a program for educating the public about the field, which is a unique aspect of this particular center.

The initial experimental studies will focus on psilocybin and the center hopes to eventually explore how psychedelics impact psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, religion, anthropology, art, and even computer science and artificial intelligence.

Australia Might Be the First Country to Legalize Psychedelic Medicine

The race for the first country to legalize psychedelic medicine is on. The non-profit organization Mind Medicine Australia surprised the world by submitting a proposal to reschedule psilocybin and MDMA from prohibited substances to controlled medicines.

People had until this Monday to send their support for the proposal to the Australian Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA). If the proposal is accepted, Australia will become the first country in the world to allow the use of these substances for therapeutic purposes. The TGA will announce an interim decision on the matter in February, and the final decision will be confirmed in April, after a second round of submissions is considered.

UK National Health Service Rejects Esketamine

The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) has rejected the nasal esketamine spray known as Spravato from being incorporated into the country’s healthcare system as a treatment for hard-to-treat depression.

This isn’t the first time the spray has been rejected—the first rejection occurred in January. Both refusals were due to concerns about Spravato’s cost effectiveness and how well it works at treating depression in the long run.

Canada Approves of Another Ayahuasca Church

Although many newer ayahuasca churches in America are finding it difficult to gain approval from the U.S. government to practice their religion involving the psychedelic tea, religious groups in Canada are having a much easier time. A church in Winnipeg became the sixth group to receive a government exemption to legally import and use ayahuasca.

The Centre for Universal Illumination Luz Divina is the latest church to obtain a federal exemption from Health Canada which will allow its members to freely use the Amazonian brew without facing any legal consequences. Now if only governments around the world were to follow Canada’s lead…

Get High Without Paranoia or Anxiety With Delta-8 THC

Cannabis is an amazing plant containing a ton of different psychoactive compounds with varying degrees of effects. A newly-identified form of THC found within marijuana is being sold as a way to get high without experiencing the paranoia or anxiety that can come with consuming Delta-9 THC.

The difference between the two compounds, which can both be found in cannabis, is the location of a bond between two of the atoms that form each THC molecule. Although the science is still in its infancy at this point, it does appear that this alternative to Delta-9 THC may be capable of delivering a pleasant high without negative side effects. Stoners in locations with legal cannabis markets can keep an eye out for this compound by looking for shops carrying products like vape cartridges, gummies, and tinctures that contain Delta-8 THC.

That’s all for this month’s update. Remember to always test and weigh your drugs and until next time—keep thinking wilder.

Think Wilder is reader-supported. If you enjoyed this month’s update, please consider helping out by becoming a patron, making a one-time donation, or sharing this post with a friend. Thank you for your support.

This Week in Psychedelics - 9.18.20

Cannabis

• House Postpones Vote On Bill To Federally Legalize Marijuana Until After Election (Marijuana Moment)

• These states are voting on cannabis legalization this November (CNN)

• Vermont Bill To Legalize Marijuana Sales One Step Away From Governor’s Desk After House Vote (Marijuana Moment)

• Vermont House Approves Marijuana Expungement And Decriminalization Expansion Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• How cannabis use impacted mental health during COVID (Cannabis Health News)

• Virginia House And Senate Approve Marijuana Expungement Bills (Marijuana Moment)

• NORML Files Amicus Brief to the Supreme Court Challenging Cannabis’ Schedule I Prohibited Status Under Federal Law (NORML)

• Nebraska Medical Marijuana Activists Will Pursue 2022 Ballot Measure After Court Blocks This Year’s Effort (Marijuana Moment)

• Cannabis Pilot Programs Are Sprouting in Europe (Cannabis Wire)

• Mississippi Medical Marijuana Ballot Language Threatens To Confuse Voters With Two Questions (Marijuana Moment)

• Cancard Will Effectively Decriminalise Medicinal Cannabis In The UK From November 1st (Seedsman)

• Policy Briefing: World Health Organisation Cannabis Rescheduling And Its Relevance For The Caribbean (TalkingDrugs)

• Slim Majority Of Arizona Voters Support Marijuana Legalization Ballot Measure, New Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Americans will spend $60 billion on illicit marijuana this year, report says (Leafly)

• USDA Approves Hemp Plans For Utah And Another Indian Tribe (Marijuana Moment)

• The Feds Are Funding a Study to See If Milk From Hemp-Eating Cows Will Get You High (MERRY JANE)

• Missouri Sends $2.1M In Medical Marijuana Revenue To Military Veterans Health Programs (Marijuana Moment)

• Cheap Cannabinoids That May Cure Cancer (Nanalyze)

LSD

• Scientists Uncover the Molecular Origins of an LSD Trip (Inverse)

• Figuring Out a Mouse-Sized Dose of LSD (Psychedelic Science Review)

• LSD Won’t Make a Good Painkiller (Pain News Network)

Magic Mushrooms

• Usona Puts New Psilocybin Synthesis Method in the Public Domain (Lucid News)

• First clinical trial launched to test psilocybin therapy for depression in cancer patients (News-Medical.net)

• Stopping a Too-Intense Mushroom Trip: Should You Even Try? (DoubleBlind)

MDMA

• Australians Are Lending Their Weight to Get Shrooms and MDMA Rescheduled (VICE)

Ayahuasca

• Legal Ayahuasca Churches Are Spreading Across Canada (VICE)

• Ayahuasca Makes you See, and Tobacco Makes You Dream (Chacruna)

• Ayahuasca Impacts the Big 5 Personality Traits (Psychedelic Science Review)

• A Woman Takes Ayahuasca and Discovers a Universal Truth (Patheos)

Peyote

• Indigenous Voices in Peyote Conservation: Preserving Medicine for Future Generations (Psychedelic Today)

Nitrous Oxide

• Aurora City Council Approves Temporary Ketamine Ban For First Responders (CBS Denver)

PCP

• Daniel Prude video initially withheld by Rochester police, documents show (Fox News)

Miscellaneous

• UC Berkeley launches new center for psychedelic science and education (Berkeley News)

• Can Psychedelics Treat Physical Illness? (DoubleBlind)

• Ann Arbor to consider decriminalizing psychoactive mushrooms, plants (Detroit Metro Times)

• Why Psychedelic Medicine Startups Are Poised To Get A Share Of Next Billion Dollar Market (PR Newswire)

• Compass Pathways Seeks $100 Million IPO For Psilocybin-Based Treatment (Seeking Alpha)

• How COVID-19 Has Impacted the Psychedelic Community (High Times)

• Why Set and Setting Matters for Microdosing (Medium)

• Compass Pathways IPO to Begin Trading 18th September on Nasdaq: CMPS (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Federal Workplace Drug Testing Proposal Could Discriminate Against People Of Color (Marijuana Moment)

• Women in the History of Psychedelic Plant Medicines (Chacruna)

• How Psychedelics Are Entering the Mainstream (Psychology Today)

• Could Group Therapy Make Psychedelic Drug Treatments More Accessible? (Forbes)

• IntelGenx inks double deals to develop oral film psychedelics for psychiatric use (Fierce Pharma)

• Expanded States of Consciousness for Healing and Growth (Chacruna)

• Red Light Holland’s Science and Innovation Division, Scarlette Lillie Joins Medical Psychedelics Working Group with Leading Academics; Professor David Nutt and Professor Jo Neill (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Conscious Parenting with Plant Medicine Allies (Reality Sandwich)

Think Wilder is reader-supported. If you enjoyed this week’s update, please consider helping out by becoming a patron, making a one-time donation, or sharing this post with a friend. Thank you for your support.

Disclaimer: "This Week in Psychedelics" does not censor or analyze the news links presented here. The purpose of this column is solely to catalogue how psychedelics are presented by the mass media, which includes everything from the latest scientific research to misinformation.